Conveyer chain with readily detachable feed-lug



Mi, E937., R. E. .JQHNSON Z@ CONVEYER CHAIN WITH READILY DETACHABLE FEEDLUG y Filed May 22, 1935y Patented eo. lei, i923? srN Unire rss PATENTOFFICE 6 claims. (o1. 19e- 175) My present invention relates toconveyerchains suchas usedin conveying sheets of wall board and the like pastedge trimmers or formers, cutting saws and surfaces, and has for itsprimary object 51' the provision of chains of this Ageneral characterhaving readily detachable and interchangeable feed-lugs for engagementwith the material under conveyance. Y

As is well-known, lsawing and edge forming mae.

u chines and the like are customarily provided with feed-lug-equippedconveyer chains for conveying the material past the saws or cutters.Obviously, if such machines are always to be ernployed for use vonly inoonnectionwith material lo.I of the same character and size or havingthe same shaped edges, then the feed-lugs of theconveyer -Y chains maybe permanently formed on or an.

chored to the chains in desired spaced relation; but if the machines areto be used in connection 2"@ with materials of different character anddimensions or having different shaped edges, then it becomes necessarytointerchange the feed-lugs for some suitable in size and shape for thedifferent material or materials and/'or to change the Spacing of thefeed-lugs on the feed chains.

There has long existed a demand for feed-lugequipped conveyer' chainswhich couldreadily be adapted for use in connection with differentmaterials requiring different character feed-lugs and gg; my inventionhas as an object the fulfillment of its ng, 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating in side elevationthe portion or" the chain shown in Fig. 2; f l

Fig. Il is a transverse sectional view taken on the 501I line ll-ll ofFig. 3 andv having some partsr broken away;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the feedlugs of Figs. l to 4,inclusive; and

Fig. 6 is a View in side elevation of a feed-lug 55?? which is like thefeed-lug of Figs. l to 5, inclusive,

by -means of anchoring screws l1.

ing screws Il are tightly screw-threaded into the 'links 'I and areprovided with screw-driver slots in all respects, except that itsmaterial-engaging face is differently shaped.

The feed chain is made up of alternate solid block links l and laterallyspaced sectional links 8. The sectional links 8 overlap the end portionsof the adjacent block links 'l and are pivotally connected thereto byrivets or the like 9. The chain runs over a pair of chain sprockets lonly one of which is here illustrated, and is driven by one thereof.-The sprocket lil is mounted upon a suitable shaft I I. Whereas there isbut one chain here illustrated, it will be understood that in practice alplurality of like chains will be employed in laterally spaced relationfor engagement with laterally spaced portions of a sheet of'material tobe conveyed. The upper portion of each chain is Ylinks'l and for a widthequal to the space between the link channels I3 so that the legs i4snugly fit and extend the full'length of the link channels. Y

For the sake of strength, the over-all width of the bfurcated lowerportions of the lugs is wider than the chain links 1,' but is of nogreater width than the width of the chain between opposite sides thereofat the sectional links 8. This is impor-4 tant since a chain equippedwith these lugs will be Vnowiderthan one not so equipped and will,therefore, be capable of running in a skid-bar l2 having a channel'ofjust suflicientwidth for the chain irrespective of feed-lugs. 1

VThe legs l 4 of the feed-lugs are snugly but slidably seated in thechain link channels i3 and arev releasably held againstaccidentaldisplacement therefrom by resilient ylatch springs I6 that are anchoredat their inner ends to the block links 'l The `anchor- IB in which theinner ends of the latch springs I6 are securely driven. Y

One leg I4 of each lug l5 is formed for engagement by the free endportion of a latch spring I6 with a cam surface I9 that divergesoutwardly in respect to the line of movement of the lug legs It and thelink channels I3. The yielding pressure Y sheets of fibrous Wall boardVy having Vj-shaped Y lugs likeV the lug l5 ofvFig. 6 which has a rnaofthe chains will varyY accordingtorthe flat d1,'

mensions of the material tobe Yconveyedjand for of the material. Vlarlydesirable when the material to be conveyedV is relatively soft andeasily damaged. `In the.

placement of the legs and at the'same time will Y yield readily tooutward pulling `action exertjed on the lugs which permitsndisplac'ementof thek same. It is, of course, dicult tofso accuratelyY manufactureandlocate the latch springs I6 that the free ends thereof will alwaysengage the lug legs at exactly the same point, andlhence, Yit is -Vdesirable that the cam surfaces I9 be of suiicient length to permitconsiderable variation in points of engagement of the latch springs withthe cam surfaces. Y

The head portions of the feed-lugs will usually project above the chainsa distance approximately equal to the thickness-of the material to Ybeconveyed land the front faces thereof are preferably shaped to conformVto the shape of engaged edges This latter feature,V is particuexampleillustrated in Fig.' 1, the material underl conveyance may be Vassumedto be relatively` soft tongue-forming edges which are engaged by thefeed-lugs andthe feed-lugs are formed with. V

grooves Vfor engagement With the V-tongue edges of-the wall board.VNowif itis desired to Vuse the chains for conveyance of material havingdifferent shaped edges such, for example, as the material indicated bydotted lines y in Fig. 6, the lugs maybe readily removed and replaced'with terial-engaging face corresponding to thel contour of the edge ofthe material y'. Y Y

. The requirements for spacing of the feed-lugs the purpose of obtaininga high degree of ilexilug-receiving channels i3 and latchV sprin'gs I6.Obviously, this arrangement permits substantially.

bility in this respect I have shown every second block link 'l of theYchains as being` provided With any desiredspacing required. .A e l Y YIt iscustomary Vin practice to supplyrrthe con- Vveyerchains withmaterial fromV a gravity fed Y hopper,- suhasV indicated by 27B,-icontaining a stack of sheets ofmaterial yorthe like.;

YWith the abovedescribed arrangement itwill beseen that the conveyerchains may beeit-V .Y

ciently employed for use in connection withmae terial of variousdifferent characters and that a minimum of time and effort will belneeded Yto adapt the chains to different Work, it merely be-V ingnecessary to pull off one set of feed-lugs and snap on in desired spacedrelation another setV having the required shaped heads. As a means Y Yfor Yfurther reducing the possibility of damaging the lug-engaged facesof the sheets yor the'like,V VI preferably make the upper surfaces ofthelinks irregular so as to increase the frictional drag of e theV chainson the flat under`rsurfaces of the material. ways but is preferablyaccomplished by-forming Vthe links`f8 with transverse teeth 8a.Qbviously, Y

the links 1 couldrbe likewise formed, if desired.

This may beV accomplished in different Whereas feed lugs are essentialinsome classes Y of Work and in connection with some kinds and sizes ofmaterial, they are neither Ydesirable or usable for use in connectionwith other kinds or sizes of material. For example, it will be seen thatshould itvbe desired to Vconvey a piece of Vmaterial longer than thein-feed portions of the conveyer'itself, suchV asrwould project beyondthe Y illustrated sprocket I0, feed-lugswould have no opportunity tocontact the edge of the material, and would render the conveyerl uselessfor theV purpose. However, with theconveyer illustrated the'feed-lugsplaceV no limitation on the usefulness ofthe conveyer since theyrmay bereadily removed when desired and'when thus used, independentof'feed-lugs, the increased frictional drag' of Vthe chain onthematerial, due to the chain teeth 8a,is particularly'irnportant.

Y What I claim is:Y

1. In a conveyer chain made up of Ypivotally connected links,transversely` extended parallel slots in opposite sides of a chain link,a feed-lug Vhaving laterally spaced parallel legs, said lugY legs beingslidably seated inthe transverseV slots of Vsaid chainV link,v andyielding meansY forlocking the lug against accidental VdisplacementVfrom the chain, said yielding, means Vbeing, automatically releasableby pl-1,11, exerted on the lug.

2. In a conveyer chain made up of pivotally connected links,transversely extended parallel slots in opposite sides of a chain link,a feed-lug having laterally spaced parallel legs, said lug legsbeingslidably seated in the transverse slots of said'chain link, and ayielding'latch normally retaining the lugV against accidentaldisplacement fromthe chain, Ysaid latch loeingrreleasableV bypull'ex'erted on the lug. Y

3. In a conveyer chain made connected links, transversely extendedparallel slots in opposite sides of a chain link, a feed-lug having`laterally spaced parallel legs, said lug legs being slidably seated inthetransverse slots of said chain link,'and a spring'latchdevice carriedby one ofthe slidablyengaged parts and having yielding'engageinent"withthe other thereof, said latch being Vreleasab'le by pull exerted on thelug.

4. In a conveyerV chain made up of pivotally connected links,transversely. extended parallel slots in opposite sides of a chainlink,a feed-lug having laterally spaced Yparallel legs, said lug legs beingslidably seated iny theA transverse slots of said chain 'link,.and'meansfor ,releasably lockingY Ythe feed-lugrto the chainV link, said meanscomprising acam surface on one of the slidably engagedparts and yieldinglatch device carried by Vthe other thereof and yieldingly engaging thecam Ysurfaca'tlie action of the spring latchY on Ythe cam surfacebeingsuch as to normally maintain thelfeed lug -Lllder the feedchain. Ye Y v5; In a conveyer, a chain madeV up of alternate single sectionlinks and laterally spacedrsectional links overlapping the end portionsof'the single tension to move toward Vsection links and pivote'dthereto, at least one of said single section links being provided atopposite sides with transverse channels, a feed-lug having laterallyspaced legs slidably seated in the lug channels, and yielding meansautomatically releasable tov pull o n the Ylug for normally locking thelug againstacci'dental displacements.

Y6. Y'I'he structure defined claim 5 in which VVthe over-all width ofthe lug and locking meansV is no greater than the maximum width ofthechain at points below the top of the chain.

up of pivotallyV ROY E. JOHNSON. 7'5`

